PROGNE. O75 
whitish to the edges. This is particularly appreciable in the longer crissal 
feathers. The edges of the dark feathers of throat and jugulum are usually 
paler, imparting somewhat of a lunulated appearance, their centres sometimes 
considerably darker, causing an appearance of obsolete spots. There is a 
tendency to a grayish collar on sides of neck, and generally traceable to the 
nape; this, in one specimen (5,492) from California, being hoary gray, the 
forehead similar. 
The young male of the second year is similar to the female, with the steel 
blue appearing in patches. 
Total length (of 1,561), 7.50; wing, 6.00; tail, 3.40; difference between 
inner and outer feather, .75; difference between Ist and 9th quills, 2.88; length 
of bill from forehead, .55, from nostril, .34; along gape, .94; width of gape, 
» .74; tarsus, .61; middle toe and claw, .80; claw alone, .25; hind toe and 
claw, .54; claw alone, .27. 
As already stated, I have been unable to satisfy myself as to the 
correctness of authors in giving a very wide range to our Purple 
Martin. Although Audubon mentions that the species leaves the 
United States in autumn and returns in the spring, I can find no 
indication in the more recent lists of species by Sclater, Salvin, and 
others, of its occurrence in any part of Mexico, Central America, 
or Andean South America. It is quoted from Brazil, but no one 
has identified it in any part of the West Indies, the only assigned 
locality—Cuba—being occupied by quite another and a different 
species (P. cryptoleuca). If, therefore, found in South America at 
all, it must make a long flight across the Caribbean Sea, without 
stopping by the way. In any case I am inclined to believe that the 
supposed specimens of this bird breeding in South America belong 
to allied species, and if a visitor at all, the present bird is only as a 
winter migrant. 
In a foot-note' I give the description of certain specimens from 
! Progne elegans. 
Progne elegans, BAIRD, n. 8. 
2Progne purpurea, Darwin, Birds of Beagle, 38 (Monte Video (Novem- 
ber) ; Bahia Blanca, Buenos Ayres (September), breeding in holes 
in an earth cliff). 
Hab. Buenos Ayres? Vermejo River; Brazil.(?) 
Adult, steel blue all over. 
(Young male, No. 21,009.) Above of a blackish-bronze color, with metallic 
lustre; beneath uniform dull dark brown, all the feathers edged or squamu- 
lated with paler. A few steel blue feathers in different parts of the body show 
that the adult male is entirely steel blue. 
Another specimen, marked female,(?) has the edges of the feathers still 
lighter, those of the crissal feathers nearly white. The steel blue feathers are 
in greater number. A third, also marked female, and probably of that sex, 
